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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-98503

🗓️ 18 Oct 2026 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 2 Views

Use of ubuf_info completion for TX_RING packets in Linux kernel causes use-after-free.

Related
Refs
Code
ReporterTitlePublishedViews
Family
cve
CVE
CVE-2026-98503
18 Oct 202615:17
–cve
cvelist
Cvelist
CVE-2026-98503 packet: use ubuf_info completion for TX_RING packets
18 Oct 202615:17
–cvelist
debiancve
Debian CVE
CVE-2026-98503
18 Oct 202615:17
–debiancve
euvd
EUVD
EUVD-2026-103743
18 Oct 202615:17
–euvd
nvd
NVD
CVE-2026-98503
18 Oct 202616:17
–nvd
osv_azl
osv_azl
AZL-108632 CVE-2026-98503 affecting package kernel 6.6.157.1-1
18 Oct 202616:17
–osv_azl
osv_debian
osv_debian
DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98503
18 Oct 202617:47
–osv_debian
osv_ubuntu
osv_ubuntu
UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98503
19 Oct 202600:00
–osv_ubuntu
ptsecurity
Positive Technologies
PT-2026-116722
18 Oct 202600:00
–ptsecurity
redhatcve
RedhatCVE
CVE-2026-98503
19 Oct 202612:14
–redhatcve
Rows per page
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(367103);
  script_version("1.1");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/10/18");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2026-98503");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-98503");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be
patched.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied
patch available.

  - packet: use ubuf_info completion for TX_RING packets tpacket_snd sends skbs with frags pointing into its
    ring slots. Slots are released when skb->destructor is called. A call to skb_orphan calls skb->destructor
    before the skb is freed. This can cause the slot to be reused while still linked into the skb. Switch to
    standard zerocopy completion (ubuf_info) so the slot is only released once all references to the payload
    are freed or copied. Restore skb->destructor to standard sock_wfree. The ubuf_info completion callback can
    be called with a NULL skb, but only from net_zcopy_put and related API, used by zerocopy implementations
    that hold their own reference on the uarg, such as MSG_ZEROCOPY. This uarg is only ever completed from
    skb_zcopy_clear, so skb is always set. To prevent userspace from aliasing in-flight state on shared ring
    slots, allocate tpacket_uarg per packet, rather than per slot. This adds a small allocation to the
    transmit path. Use standard kmalloc to allow backporting to stable kernels. The uarg holds an
    sk_wmem_alloc reference, rather than an sk_refcnt reference. packet_free_tx_ring waits on sk_wmem_alloc
    before freeing the ring pages. Always allocate vec->deferred for tx_ring so page-backed rings also wait on
    sk_wmem_alloc when skb_copy_ubufs drops page refs before calling tpacket_ubuf_complete. Drop the
    tx_ring.pg_vec test that tpacket_destruct_skb performed before accessing the slot. The sk_wmem_alloc
    reference now guarantees that the slot is valid. The test is also not sufficient by itself, as it reads
    pg_vec without pg_vec_lock, so it can race with packet_set_ring. As a result a slot is released when its
    payload is copied, which can be before transmission (e.g., in skb_orphan_frags_rx). If copied before
    skb_tx_timestamp() is called, no slot timestamp is recorded, similar to when skb_orphan() was called early
    in the datapath before this patch. Revert the now unused previous skb_zcopy_.._nouarg infra. Depends on
    commit 992cc9f94ca9 (net/packet: defer vmalloc TX_RING free until skbs finish). (CVE-2026-98503)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-98503");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"There is no known solution at this time.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"agent", value:"unix");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2026-98503");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vendor_unpatched", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2026/10/18");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2026/10/18");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:12.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:debian:debian_linux:linux");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Misc.");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2026 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("ssh_get_info2.nasl", "set_linux_os_id.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/cpu", "Host/local_checks_enabled", "global_settings/vendor_unpatched", "Host/OS/identifier");
  script_require_ports("Host/OS/Debian Linux-12");

  exit(0);
}

if (!get_kb_item("global_settings/vendor_unpatched")) exit(0, "Unpatched Vulnerabilities Detection not active.");
if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
if (empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/Debian/dpkg-l"))) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

include('linux_unpatched.inc');

var distro_constraints_array = {
  "Debian Linux-12": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "12",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "btrfs-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "cdrom-core-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "ext4-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "fat-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "isofs-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "jfs-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "kernel-image-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "linux-doc"},
          {"reference": "linux-doc-6.1"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.1.0"},
          {"reference": "linux-source"},
          {"reference": "linux-source-6.1"},
          {"reference": "linux-support-6.1.0"},
          {"reference": "loop-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "nic-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "nic-shared-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "nic-wireless-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "pata-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "ppp-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "scsi-core-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "scsi-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "scsi-nic-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "serial-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "usb-serial-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "xfs-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
};

var distro_constraints_values = linux_unpatched::get_distro_constraints(distro_constraints_arr:distro_constraints_array);
if (empty_or_null(distro_constraints_values)) audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');

var third_party_support = get_kb_item('Host/OS/extended-third-party');
if (!empty_or_null(third_party_support)) {
    var third_party_vendors = distro_constraints_values['third_party'];
    if (!empty_or_null(third_party_vendors)) {
        var vendor;
        foreach vendor (third_party_vendors) {
            if (vendor == third_party_support) exit(0, 'A third party management patch is available for this vulnerability from ' + vendor + '.\n');
        }
    }
}

var report = linux_unpatched::check_unpatched_constraints(distro_constraints_values:distro_constraints_values);

if (!empty_or_null(report))
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_WARNING,
      extra      : report
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
}

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18 Oct 2026 00:00Current
5.8Medium risk
Vulners AI Score5.8
EPSS0.002
2